I will paint up a portion of the body and post it this weekend. It may make it easier to judge.
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Gene Simmons LoBue Tribute Build
- Thread starter bassgod76
- Start date
To whoever is building the Bass I hung out on 48st as a teenager and knew Charlie LoBue. Some years later I was worked as a freelance photographer for Circus magazine and actually got to see and pickup the Bass in person at Roosevelt Stadium in 1976. (Big BBQ and fireworks backstage that day with Point Blank, Bob Segar and J Giles band) )
A big part of why Gene liked the LoBue Bass so much is because it balanced perfectly and was light weight. He could take his hands off it (do do his stage antics) and it would stay in place. Charlie was ahead of the game with all this and built a Bass using a lightweight short scale Mahogany neck with a Gibson EBO Bass profile (only 24 frets) with the smallest lightweight tuners he could find.---he figured Gene would like it.
Gene hated bulky Basses and especially ones that didn't Balance.
The Bass being built here looks great NICE JOB and hopefully the Dan Armstrong neck balances. Good decision, a long scale neck if chosen would not have balanced and been a disaster !!!
Joe-- joe.amp "at" NOSPAMverizon "dot" net
A big part of why Gene liked the LoBue Bass so much is because it balanced perfectly and was light weight. He could take his hands off it (do do his stage antics) and it would stay in place. Charlie was ahead of the game with all this and built a Bass using a lightweight short scale Mahogany neck with a Gibson EBO Bass profile (only 24 frets) with the smallest lightweight tuners he could find.---he figured Gene would like it.
Gene hated bulky Basses and especially ones that didn't Balance.
The Bass being built here looks great NICE JOB and hopefully the Dan Armstrong neck balances. Good decision, a long scale neck if chosen would not have balanced and been a disaster !!!
Joe-- joe.amp "at" NOSPAMverizon "dot" net
Thanks Joe! Just trying to faithfully get it as close as possible. Any ideas on my body corner dilemma? It looks like it was beveled. Do you recall?
Thanks again,
BG76
To whoever is building the Bass I hung out on 48st as a teenager and knew Charlie LoBue. Some years later I was worked as a freelance photographer for Circus magazine and actually got to see and hold the Bass in person at Roosevelt Stadium in 1976. (Big BBQ and fireworks backstage that day with Point Blank, Bob Segar and J Giles band) ) A big part of why Gene liked the LoBue Bass so much is because it balanced perfectly and was light weight. He could take his hands off it (do do his stage antics) and it would stay in place. To accomplish this Charlie used a lightweight short scale Mahogany neck with a Gibson EBO/EB3 like feel with 24 frets and the smallest lightweight tuners he could find.
Gene hated bulky Basses and especially ones that didn't Balance.
The Bass being built here looks great NICE JOB and should balance, lucky a long scale was not chosen it been a disaster !!!
Joe-- joe.amp "at" NOSPAMverizon "dot" net
Gene hated bulky Basses and especially ones that didn't Balance.
The Bass being built here looks great NICE JOB and should balance, lucky a long scale was not chosen it been a disaster !!!
Joe-- joe.amp "at" NOSPAMverizon "dot" net
From what I remember it had a slight Belly cutout on the back the corners were quite sharp (very little beveling) difined corners like a Gibson Les Paul TV model. (Not like that ugly Spector that replaced it) The binding looked painted on and was very bright white jetglow or something (at that time I was just learning about Guitars and Basses)
I edited the last post for clarity
So the bevel pics above would be inaccurate? We were having this debate by pics of after it was painted black, it appears they beveled the front edge.
When did you handle this bass?
It's funny you mentioned how well the LoBue balanced. He sure as heck doesn't care about that anymore. LOL!
I honestly don't remember a bevel like that. I saw the Bass right after iwhat may have been a 2nd or 3rd black paint ---Sept 76.
It was the first night of the Destroyer tour they had all new backline and stage props. I remember this creepy tree made out of strands of foam rubber and electrical tape. It was coming apart from the heat--LOL. Foam rubber rocks covering the monitors and foot lights.
I have negatives of photos I took from the pit but it wont do much good the stage was extremely backlit and dark. I was shooting at Tri-X 400 @ F2.8 1- 1/30 of a second many are to dark and blurry.
It was the first night of the Destroyer tour they had all new backline and stage props. I remember this creepy tree made out of strands of foam rubber and electrical tape. It was coming apart from the heat--LOL. Foam rubber rocks covering the monitors and foot lights.
I have negatives of photos I took from the pit but it wont do much good the stage was extremely backlit and dark. I was shooting at Tri-X 400 @ F2.8 1- 1/30 of a second many are to dark and blurry.
I'm going to try and find one of the guys who worked at Charlies shop and send him here. To add the top of the Bass may have been taken down to cover deep gouges and a puddle where the old tailpiece was. Eather way would still be authentic,,it just a matter of the tour or year. The Bass was stripped and re-done by Charlie 2 or 3 times over the years.
This was quick.
---"It had the bevel just not as pronounced because it was refinished. And like all attendance that evening who cant remember sh*t"
A: Over the years original rosewood fingerboard was removed & replaced , fillers added and painted.
Looks like your doing good Bassgod .....me looking bad LOL !
---"It had the bevel just not as pronounced because it was refinished. And like all attendance that evening who cant remember sh*t"
A: Over the years original rosewood fingerboard was removed & replaced , fillers added and painted.
Looks like your doing good Bassgod .....me looking bad LOL !
Wow, very cool Joe. Thanks for chiming in. So you are saying the mods were done by Charlie himself and not Gene's tech or someone else. There has been speculation about that.
From what Joe is saying, it sounds like there is just a small roundover on the body and not a ledge like we were speculating. Some pics look like there is and some not. Either way is probably fine. My guess is they would have done the easiest thing which is not to change it from the original. Most pics of the original version jibe with what Joe is saying.
From what Joe is saying, it sounds like there is just a small roundover on the body and not a ledge like we were speculating. Some pics look like there is and some not. Either way is probably fine. My guess is they would have done the easiest thing which is not to change it from the original. Most pics of the original version jibe with what Joe is saying.
I think I will do a slight bevel inside the horns, but after this, I may leave the edge like a Gibson TV as Joe said.
- Aug 21, 2008
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I used a roundover bit that has a slight overhang by the bearing to allow that shelving effect.
Look at the picture on the far right. It looks like some sort of shelving was done.
That's not what I see here, except where the pickguard is.
I think the white painted part makes it look like a shelf.
That's not what I see here, except where the pickguard is.
I think the white painted part makes it look like a shelf.
So you think it's basically like the Gibson as Joe L noted? There is some beveling inside the horns. You can see if before the bass was painted black.
i think you should bevel it slightly. I mean it looks like it all round. even where the truss rod adjustment is made. But i might just be how it's angled. Probably stupid question: but will you have the action as high as gene did 
i think you should bevel it slightly. I mean it looks like it all round. even where the truss rod adjustment is made. But i might just be how it's angled. Probably stupid question: but will you have the action as high as gene did
LOL! No! Just to update, I painted my tester pine body. Waiting for it to dry for the white edge.
That what I saw, The edges had a slight bevel like a Gibson but not a recessed bevel with a bright white binding painted and filled into what may have been left of a very slight SLIGHT bevel. (perhaps this was tinted epoxy painted in ?)
The neck joints on those LoBue's were massive, the necks tilted back slightly with no corners (it appears this Bass does have edges around the 17th fret or is that an illusion ? )
I would set the neck in with a strong hyde glue then countersink 3 screws for added security . Then prime the holes and cover them.--automotive bondo works great and wont shrink. Seal up any joint spaces. Then seal the grain with past filler, push it into the grain with a razer blade, block sand (I actually glue the sandpaper to a mirror to get the tops flat)..its a lot of work !!
Just a note. All these Lobue guitars all had file marks and slight blemishes, none of them were perfect. The control covers were thick plexieglass in every guitar I seen sometimes not even recessed.
Hope this helps
The neck joints on those LoBue's were massive, the necks tilted back slightly with no corners (it appears this Bass does have edges around the 17th fret or is that an illusion ? )
I would set the neck in with a strong hyde glue then countersink 3 screws for added security . Then prime the holes and cover them.--automotive bondo works great and wont shrink. Seal up any joint spaces. Then seal the grain with past filler, push it into the grain with a razer blade, block sand (I actually glue the sandpaper to a mirror to get the tops flat)..its a lot of work !!
Just a note. All these Lobue guitars all had file marks and slight blemishes, none of them were perfect. The control covers were thick plexieglass in every guitar I seen sometimes not even recessed.
Hope this helps
